SuperPeople: Sources of inspiration

When I was a child I had no idols, no singer or actor was my favourite one and I couldn't scream or even die for anyone. For a long time I had thought the hero-idol figure was not a figure exisiting in my life experience, then I discovered it was just that I hadn't met mine!. An hero, in my view, is someone who is inspiring my life, someone who made something special, the light who is lightening my way, someone with whom I share values and mission.

My first hero is my grandmother. She died a year ago, she was a little woman living in a little village during the second world war. She never admitted she was a feminist but her heart was strong and her commitment for her rights made her an unconscious feminist. Her fiancee was in Germany for the war and when it finished he was not immediately back, he was a prisoner working like a servant in a family. In her village people were pushing her to engage with someone else, someone ready to provide for her livelihoods. Then she just created a job suitable for her to keep her independence and to wait for her true lover. She became the first nurse for babies in the village and she was in contact with all the doctors from the nearest town. When her lover, my grandfather, was finally back they married and she kept her amazing job and created a little consulting room. I never told her she was my hero, but we shared every single concern and joy, I was feeling she knew she was my hero.

Another (S)hero is Rita Levi Montalcini she is an italian neurologist, noble laureate in 1986 for their discovery of Nerve growth factor (NGF). She is an important woman in science a leading and well-known figure in Italy and world wide. She was a pioneer of women in science and this experience shaped her view of women's rights and equality. She said
"humanity is made up of both sexes and it should be represented by both male and females". She has also created a NGO, supporting women n developing countries. In Italy women are famous just if they are actress or sport heros, TV is the leading social media and the female perfect body is becoming obsessive. Rita Levi Montalcini is just a brilliant scientist, a woman with a beautiful perfect mind. I am sure there are other brilliant italian scientists but they do not make audience on tv so they work in the shadow.

I consider as my hero also two men. The economist Amartya Sen and the sociologist Bourdieu. They are my hero because they managed to understand and to analyze the gender discriminations. If you are a man it can be easy to see as much unfair is violence against women or FGM, but it is really difficult to see other forms of daily subtle discrimination. These two men have developed theories that clarify many gender issues. Maybe they have unusual glasses to see usual unequal power relations between women and men.
I am sure there are other hero around the world advocating for women rights or just for their rights, people who are inspiring you, fighting for alternative ways of thinking of doing of living. Their daily struggle is their power and the reason of my commitment for a fairer world.
Peace...